Janet Sketchley's Blog: Tenacity, page 94
August 6, 2014
Lord, I Want to See
If people can’t see what God is doing,
they stumble all over themselves;
But when they attend to what he reveals,
they are most blessed.
Proverbs 29:18, MSG*
One thing I brought home from Write Canada this year was the challenge to see. As I shared recently (Bubbles in Bratislava), that message needed reinforcing within a few short weeks.
We see so much with our natural eyes, and we “see” our perspectives and interpretations, and all of this gets in the way of our discerning what God is doing—and w...
August 4, 2014
Review: The Butterfly and the Violin, by Kristy Cambron
The Butterfly and the Violin, by Kristy Cambron (Thomas Nelson, 2014)
A New York art gallery owner and a California businessman team up to locate an obscure painting—for wildly different reasons. For Sera James, it’s a connection to happier times from her past. For William Hanover, it’s the key to his family’s future.
Sera and William each carry wounds, and it’s easier to focus on the hunt than to risk trusting—and healing. Still, each recognizes something special in the other.
The novel also te...
August 1, 2014
Interview: Author Lillian Duncan
Lillian Duncan is a multi-published author who lives in the middle of Ohio Amish country with her husband, two parrots, one Jack Russell, and a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel she’s thinking of renaming Clifford since he keeps growing and growing and….
As a speech pathologist in the public schools for over thirty years, she worked with students of all ages with a wide variety of conditions, but especially with deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech patho...
July 30, 2014
Do You Fear Bad News?
They do not fear bad news;
they confidently trust theLordto care for them.
Psalm 112:7, NLT*
There’s an article in the current issue of Reader’s Digest that suggests the fear of future scarcity can affect our daily wellbeing. (“Can’t Get No Satisfaction,” by Rosie Ifould, August 2014)
We can end up living in tension, on alert, ready for something bad to happen, whether it’s financial, physical or relational. I’ve seen it in my own life; you likely have as well.
Fear of lack. Fear of loss. It creat...
July 28, 2014
Review: Seagrass Pier, by Colleen Coble
Seagrass Pier, by Colleen Coble (Thomas Nelson, 2014)
Elin Summerall is a young widow caring for her preschool-aged daughter and for her mother, who’s slipping into dementia. Elin is also the recent recipient of a heart transplant—and now she’s remembering details of her donor’s murder.
The police don’t believe her, but it seems that the murderer does.
FBI agent Marc Everton’s investigation of the murder leads him to Elin. They’ve met before, but Marc didn’t know their one night of passion produ...
July 25, 2014
Bubbles in Bratislava
Europe on a river cruise. Hands up, everyone who’s dreamed of a getaway like this. My husband and I decided to splurge for our 30th anniversary, and the Grand European Tour from Viking River Cruises exceeded all expectations.
Fifteen days on the ship from Amsterdam to Budapest, with daily excursions, plus a three-day extension in Prague at the end. I loved being on the deck watching the scenery slide by. My favourite stop was the charming town of Miltenberg in Germany, and Budapest at night is...
July 23, 2014
Continual Praise
Enter his gates with thanksgiving;
go into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 100:4, NLT*
The psalms we most often hear in church, and many of our Christian hymns and worship songs, ring with praise and gratitude to God. It’s a big part of how we respond to Him, and rightly so.
That’s how I usually interpret verses like the one above, but this time it reminded me of something else as well. When the Israelites went to the Temple, they brought sacrifices: animals,...
July 21, 2014
Review: Strange Faces, by Linda Hall
Strange Faces, by Linda Hall (Linda Hall, 2014)
It’s been too long since we’ve had fresh fiction from Linda Hall. Strange Faces is a collection of six short stories and a novella. Most are new, with a few reprints from other anthologies. I had read one story before, but happily read it again.
Linda Hall has a gift for evoking memorable characters and situations. Most of these stories are suspense or mystery, with the occasional strand of magic or the unexplained. Because the author weaves a for...
July 18, 2014
Adam’s Animals with VBS
Adam’s Animals – Fun Facts About God’s Creation just released this spring!
Is your church running a Vacation Bible School (VBS) program this summer based on the Weird Animals curriculum?
Consider using Adam’s Animals along with the accompanying craft book, Super Simple Animal Crafts in your Sunday School program leading up VBS. It’s a great resource for your church to generate interest in your summer programs.
Adam’s Animals is an...
July 16, 2014
Kingdom Corners
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Don’t assume that you know it all.
Proverbs 3:6-7a, MSG*
In the big things, the scary things, the God-sized things, it’s easy to remember to rely on God’s strength. We pray, we listen, we don’t dare risk moving ahead on our own.
What about the little things? The daily routines, small decisions, mundane chores. They’re the ones we often handle solo, using the skill and common sense that God gave...
